The project was developed in conjunction with the German Energy Agency, Deutsche Energie-Agentur (DENA), and Germany’s leading solar and dual-axis-sensor-controlled tracking systems manufacturer, DEGERenergie. The Heritage Center installation will mark DENA’s first U.S. project.

“Vis Solis is pleased to bring this innovative solar technology and international partnership to Oak Ridge, a city with

a rich history in energy innovation and leadership,” Carlos Mayer, managing member of Vis Solis, said in a news release. Vis Solis oversees the complete engineering, procurement, financing, operation and design of investor-owned solar photovoltaic power plants.

Seven ground-mounted trackers with 30 solar panels on each tracker will make up the 50-kilowatt photovoltaic solar array. It will be installed on the duct bank in the 1200-acre Heritage Center industrial park. A 50-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system produces enough energy to power about 15 average family homes.

“Vis Solis is using solar energy to turn an empty plot of land into an income producing asset for our investors and the community,” stated Tim Hayes, Vis Solis project manager. The duct bank is a small area of the Heritage Center that is not suitable for excessive and deep digging that is typical for a traditional construction project, making it ideal for a solar installation.

The Heritage Center solar installation in Oak Ridge is the first U.S. partnership in DENA’s Solar Roofs Program portfolio. Since 2004, DENA has taken part in over 40 solar projects across the globe to bring together rising international interest in German solar technology and help expand global solar markets.

All solar roof projects developed by DENA are designed as public-private partnerships and co-financed by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.

The project is scheduled to be grid connected before the end of the year. Vis Solis and DENA are planning a ribbon cutting and solar symposium with regional solar stakeholders March 2013.